Method and apparatus for making bags



March 30, 1954 L. R. HECKER ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS Filed March 13, 1946 ZfO March 30, 1954 Filed March 13, 1946 r L. R. HECKER ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 a wum /tow [Ea/MR0 E. l/some Iva/may P C 2 42K March 1954- R. HECKER ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 15, 1946 JNVENTORs By away I? flaw:

| R. HECKER ET AL 2,673,495

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March 30, 1954 Filed March 13, 1946 March 30, 1954 L. R. HECKER ET AL 2,673,495

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS Filed March 13, 1946 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 g g g Q Q I s 7 III! IN V EN TOR5 By M02597 1? CLKIRK March 1954 L. R. HECKER ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS 10 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 13, 1946 BY jw March 30, 1954 L. R. HECKER ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS Filed March 13, 1946 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 VACUUMX /2/2 I m: /04

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March 1954 L. R. HECKER ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed March 15, l94

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March 1954 R. HECKER ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed March 13, 1946 March 1954 L. R. HECKER ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed March 13, 1946 Patented Mar. 30, 1954 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKIN G BAGS Leonard R. Hecker, Havertown,

and Murray P.

Clark, Upper Darby, Pa., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Gontin Inc., New York, N. Y

York

ental Can Company,

., a corporation of New Application March 13, 1946, Serial No. 654,150

Claims.

a part of the bag-making process.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus as aforesaid in which a tube is formed without contact between any solid object and the interior of the tube dur ing the tubing operation.

It is a further vide tubing operation is reduced to a minimum.

It is a hesive is dry.

It is a further object of this invention to provide certain improved bag constructions which are made possible by the method and apparatus aforesaid.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a schematic, perspective view illustrating one form of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the treatment of the web in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bag produced in accordance with Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a second form of improved machine;

F Fig. 5 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line l1 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of another form of machine;

Fig. 11 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 9;

mechanism illustrated in Fig. 7;

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. but illustrating a different pattern;

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the bag formed from the web treated accordance with Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a plan view of a web with still another pattern; and

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the mouth of the bag treated in accordance with Fig. 18.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a web ID of sheet material which is fed over a tensioning roll l2, thence over a backing roll M. A printing roll I6 presses the web I!) against the backing roll I 4. The printing roll I6 receives adhesive in liquid form from a vat [8, by means of transfer rolls 20. The printing roll I 6 may pattern and imprints this pattern upon the web It. This pattern in the instant case is illustrated at 22. The web I0 then passes over a guide roll 24 and is folded upon itself to pass in folded condition between draw rolls 2B.

The fold line 28, established by the draw rolls 26, is offset from the center line of the web sufiiciently to produce a projecting margin 30. A wheel 32 receives adhesive from a vat 34 by means of transfer wheels 36 and applies a continuous stripe 38 of adhesive to the margin 30, which is supported against the wheel 32 by a backing wheel 40.

The folded web then 42 and 44,

tube.

The tube is complete as it passes between the draw rolls The significance of the steps just described will be clarified by Figs. 2 and 3. Obviously the patterns 22 are correlated and synchronized with the cutter rolls 50 and 54. The cutter rolls 50 produce diagonal slits 5|, which parallel the adhesive strips in the pattern 22.

the web on the line 28 is to superimpose the portions of the pattern on the front and rear walls of the bag. Depending on the type of paper and the type of adhesive, it may or may not be necessary to apply the pattern to both walls. This is optional and within the skill of the art as to any particular situation. In either case, however, the front and rear walls of the final bag are securely glued together in the area of the pattern 22. The slits I applied by the cutter 50 are so related to the transverse cut 55 applied by the cutter 54 as to provide a clear pair of intersections 51 between the slits SI and the transverse cut 55. This results in complete severance of the triangular areas 58 defined by the slits 5| and the transverse cut 55. The final bag 60 is shown in Fig. 3 and has a central opening 62 through which may pass the hook of a coat hanger. This particular bag is designed as a garment cover for use by laundries and cleaning establishments. Obviously other patterns and arrangements could be used to produce different forms of bags for various purposes, and some of these will be discussed in connection with certain of the alternative forms of this invention.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a bag machine frame I00, to the rear end of which is secured a vertical frame I02. A web I04 advances over tension rolls I06 and passes first between a pair of scoring rolls I08 I 50, supported on the brackets I I2 on the vertical frame I2. The rolls I08 and H0 coact so as simultaneously to function both as backing rolls and scoring rolls. Rolls I08 are made up of two sets of rubber backing rings H4 and a pair of scoring knives I I5. The roll H0 is made up of a pair of rubber backing rings IIS and two sets of scoring rings I20. The scoring rings of the roll IIO bear against the rubber backing rings I I4 of the roll I08, while the scoring rings H6 and the roll I08 bear aga nst the rubber rings IIB of the roll Hi). When the web 304 passes between rolls H0 and I00 it receives two sets of parallel score lines, each set comprising three lines. As will hereinafter be set forth in greater detail, the score lines thus formed define the gusset folds of the final tube.

The web I04 proceeds upwardly from the rolls I00 and IIO and passes between a backing roll I22 and a printing roll I24. The printing roll 524 receives liquid adhesive from a transfer roll 528, which rests in a vat of adhesive I28. The rolls I22, I24 and I26 and the vat I28 are supported in brackets I30 secured to the vertical frame I02. A doctor I32 is pivotally mounted at I34 on the brackets I30 and serves to regulate the quantity of adhesive supplied by the transfer roll 26 to the printing roll I24.

The printing roll I24 may be given any of a variety of printing surfaces, depending on the effect wh ch it is ultimately desired to secure. The particular effect illustrated in Fi '1 is made up of a horizontal, straight-line portion I30, with two pairs of hollow, triangular portions I38 having their bases spaced from the portion I36 and located in a specific relationship to the gusset score lines formed by rolls H0 and I08. This relationship will be discussed in connection with Fig. 15. The triangular portions I38 have their diagonals at degrees the length of the bar I36.

The web I04 advances upwardly from the rolls I22 and I24 and passes over a backing roll I40, which is supported in brackets I42 secured to the vertical frame I02. A paste wheel I44 is mounted in an auxiliary frame I45, which is swingably mounted about a shaft I48, which shaft is driven by sprockets I from the shaft I52 of the backing roll I40. A transfer wheel I54 is keyed to the shaft I48 and bears against the paste wheel I44. A doctor I56 is se ure to h auxiliary frame I46 and regulates the amount of paste supplied by the transfer wheel I54 to the paste wheel I44. The transfer wheel I54 receives paste from a vat I58, which is supported on a column I50, which column also supports the vat I20. A rack I62 is secured to the column I60 and meshes with a pinion I64, which is operated by a hand crank I68. By this means the vats I58 and I23 may simultaneously be lowered away from their associated transfer rolls for the purpose of cleaning or other servicing.

From the backing roll I40 the web I04 passes downwardly and goes under a pair of rollers I10. These rollers are keyed to a shaft I12, which shaft is journaled in a pair of members I14. Members I14 are pivotally mounted on a shaft 10. Upward rocking movement of the members I14 is limited by means of a set screw I18 secured in an extension I of one of the members I14. A sprocket I82 is keyed to shaft I12 and a sprocket I84 is keyed to the shaft I18, and the sprockets I22 and 484 are connected by a chain I86 whereby the shaft I16 positively drives the rollers I10.

The outermost surfaces of the rollers I10 are located to coincide with the innermost score lines produced by the rollers I00 and H0. The rollers I10, by conventional means not illustrated, are synchronized with the printing roll I24, and the adjustment is such that a notch I88 will always coincide with the pattern on the web I04 imprinted by the web I24. There is, therefore, no smearing of the paste applied by the roller I24 by any contact with the rolls I10. As the web I04 is placed under tension against the rolls I10, its margins fold along the innermost score lines applied by the rolls I08 and H0, and the web is thereby drawn into substantially a U-shape, with the front wall of the ultimate bag being defined between the outermost surfaces of the rolls I10. The U-shape is not so tightly drawn, however, as to produce contact between the printed side of the web and the end surface of the rolls I10.

From the rolls I10 the web 34 proceeds to the tubing unit, generally indicated by the numeral 20, and shown particularly in Figs. 4, 5, 8 and 9. The unit 200 is made up of externally converging passage 202 and an internal air duct 204. The inner surface of the passage 22 is made up of a set of foraminous walls 206 formed into a series of intersecting planes which conform to the front and rear walls and to the gussets to be formed in the tube. The foraminous walls are joined at their upper edges to plates 208 and at their lower edges to plates 2I0, to define chambers 2I2, which are constantly evacuated by means of a suitable pump. It will be clear that as the web I04 enters the passageway 202, defined by the walls 256, the foraminous surfaces will draw the web to conform to the section shown in Fig. 8, thus initiating the formation of the tube. A series of apertures 2 I4 in the pressure duct 204 are directed toward the fold lines of the rear wall of the tube, while a similar series of apertures 2I0 are directed toward the fold lines of the front wall. These jets assist in bringin about conformation of the web I04 with the surfaces 206.

When the section illustrated in Fig. 9 is reached, formation of the tube is substantially complete, and it is only necessary at this section to preserve a small portion of foraminous surface 206 against the front wall of the tube. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that one margin 201 of one of the walls 205 terminates short of the equivalent margin 208 of the opposite wall 206. This permits the margins of the web to be brought into emf overlapped relation without any fouling of the unit 260 by the paste strip applied by the wheel As the collapsed tube emerges from the unit 200, it passes under a pair of rollers 220, the axes of which in conventional manner may be adjusted to lie at an angle to the center line of the tube, whereby to exert a drawing action tending to prevent separation of the central seam. The tube then passes between conventional draw rolls 222, which are power-driven and which operate to advance the tube and the web H34 through the various units heretofore described. The collapsed tube may then be severed into consecutive bag lengths, which may then pass through any suitable bottoming operation. The parts just described contemplate the formation of a square bag, in which one end of a gusseted tube length is folded transversely against and secured to the body of the tube. In such case the transverse paste bar E36 will lie at or slightly below the fold line of the bottom, while the triangular portions i38 will secure appropriate portions of the gussets to the adjacent portions of the front and rear walls and will serve to facilitate expansion of the bag.

There is illustrated in Fig. 4 a conventional thumb notch cutter 250 mounted on a driven shaft 252 and operating to produce the conventional thumb notch at the end of each tube length. The shaft 252 is synchronized with the rollers I and both are synchronized with the printing roller I24.

Depending on the nature of the web Hi4 and the speed at which it must pass through the unit 260, the evacuation of the chambers 212 may be dispensed with and reliance placed entirely on the jets 2| 4 and 2H5, or the evacuation may be relied on entirely and the pressure member 204 dispensed with. I

The prior art contains various suggestions for the placing of bodies of adhesive on the inner surface of a tube, but these relate to the application of a thermoplastic material which is hardened before the tube is formed and is then reactivated by heat and pressure after the tube is formed. So far as mouth closure is concerned, such treatment will continue to be valuable, since such closures are not reactivated until long after the bag is made; and this invention contemplates the application of suitable patterns of thermoplastic material to the web Hi4 before it reaches the machine illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. There are, however, great advantages in the application of a wet adhesive, to be located in the bottom of the bag. A filling and closing machine is considered to have excellent production, in the neighborhood of 40 bags per minute, while rates of 200 bags per minute are not uncommon in the manufacture of bags. Obviously the latter rate allows far less time for devotion to the heat-sealing of the bottom. By providing a liquid paste bar which is still in substantially fluid condition when the tube is formed and collapsed, the adhesive flows into an optimum position completely to block the bottom of the bag, and such complete blocking takes place irrespective of the rate at which the bags are produced.

This invention has particular advantage and importance in the formation of impervious pa'ck-= ages, where the interior surface of the tube is either lacquered or composed of a homogenous film. With such material on the interior of the tube, the percentage of defective packages will be greatly reduced through theavoidance of all rubbing action against the tube interior.

Figs. 10 through 14 illustrate a particular form of tuber adapted especially to the manufacture of large, multi-wall bags. A typical construction in this class is a bag having a face of 18", 2" gussets and a length of formed, in an average case, from four plies of paper having basis weight of or '50 pounds. In extreme cases there may be handled as many as 6 plies of paper having a pounds each. Such tubers operate at rather high web speeds, with the result that the frictional load involved in pulling the multiple 'W'ebs around a former plate is very great. The present invention meets this problem, not only by eliminating of rubbing contact with the interior of the tube but also by substituting rolling instead of rubbing friction at all points in the tuber.

The machine is supported on a frame 300, the details of which are unimportant. At the rear there is a vertical frame 302 functionally similar to the frame I32 illustrated in Fig. 4. On this will be mounted a guide roll corresponding to the roll I05 of Fig. fl, scoring rolls corresponding to H38 and I I0 of Fig. 4, and a paste printer corresponding to rolls I22 and I24 of Fig. 4. At the top, the super-imposed webs pass over a backing roll 394 corresponding to the roll I40 of Fig. 4. For the sake of simplicity, Fig. 11 has been drawn on the assumption that only three plies are involved. Obviously, any number of plies might be used. In multi-ply bag work the plies are mutually offset to expose at one side the inner surface of one margin of each ply. These are guided to move over the backing roll 364 and beneath three applicator rolls 306 which receive paste from a transfer roll 398. These margins are thus prepared to form the longitudinal seams.

The super-imposed webs pass downwardly from the backing T011 304 over a pair of forming rolls 310 similar to the rolls H0 in Fig. 4 and bearing a notch 3 l2 similar to the notches I88 of the rolls I10. Because of the great length of the bags, usually only one notch 3|2 need be provided.

A series of table rolls 3M underlie the tuber and have their upper surfaces in a common plane with the lower surface of the roll 316. These prevent any tendency toward either longitudinal or transverse sagging of the webs which, in very large bags, would take place to a degree at least, irrespective of the tension applied by the feed rolls.

When the web passes over th rolls am it is drawn substantially into a U-shape with the outer axial surfaces of the rolls 310 defining the outer edges of the front wall of the tube. The webs have previously been scored to assist in defining the gussets. The upstanding portions of the u then pass between a first set of folding opposed rolls, of which the lowermost 3H3 engage the corners of the U. Intermediate rolls 3 i8 engage the center line of the gussets and upper rolls 3213 engage the outer edges of what will become the rear tions to direct air jets against the folding rolls 3|6and 326, each of which is grooved around its periphery with the vertices of the grooves corresponding to the edges of the front and rear walls.

A number of sets of rolls are provided with their peripheries spaced and shaped to follow the tubing process as is probably best indicated in Figs. l2, l3 and 14 wherefor the sake of simplicity the progress of a single web 324 is indicated. The grooves in the peripheries of the upper and lower folding wheels become progressively deeper to accentuate the fold lines. The precise number of rolls is optional and will depend very largely on the total basis weight of the number of plies being used and on speed at which the webs are drawn through the machine. Generally speaking, the number of rolls should be increased as either basis weight or web speed increases, and in practice the number of sets will be chosen with regard to the maximum weight and speed contemplated. When the web has reached the condition illustrated in Fig. 14, the tube is virtually complete and it is completed by passing it between draw rolls 326, which not only act to advance the webs but to perfect the creasing of the gusset folds. There has thus been provided a tuber in which a multi-ply tube is formed in the complete absence of any rubbin friction.

Fig. 15 shows a web 358 in the condition in which it approaches the rolls lit in Fig. 4. One set of gussets is defined by score lines 350 and the other set by score lines 352. Transverse bands of wet paste are spaced at intervals corresponding to a bag length. After tubing, the web will be severed along lines 3% and the bottom will be folded along lines 358. Triangular areas of wet paste 3.56 are provided as shown. When the tube is formed and the adhesive has dried, these areas 368 greatly assist in opening and expanding the bottom of the bag to bring the bottom at right angles to the b-ags axis. Care must be taken to assure that the apices of the areas 369 do not extend beyond the point to which the center of the gussets must break when the bag is expanding, and these areas 36% are therefore deliberately located to fall short of that point by an amount equal to the maximum expectable forward deviation between the paste printing station and the cutoff.

Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate a particular arrangement which may be best manufactured by the method and apparatus of Fig. 1, though it could be manufactured by the use of any of the other machines herein disclosed. In this case, a web 31!) receives consecutive transverse bands of wet paste 3T2. Before the application of the wet paste, the web receives spaced bands Lil i of thermoplastic material. These are preferably applied in the manner disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,237,327, and are fully hardened before the tubing operation starts. On the outside of the tube there are printed in distinctive colors bands of ink in registry with the bands of thermoplastic. The web is tubed preferably by the method and apparatus of Fig. l to the condition illustrated in Fig. 17. The cutoff occurs along lines file so that each length has a band 312 of wet adhesive at one end and three bands 3% of thermoplastic at the opposite end. The wet adhesive sets to block completely its end of the tube. The opposite end, after the contents (for example, a garment) is inserted, may be closed by heatin and pressing the first of the three bands of thermoplastic. The bag is opened merely by severing one end thereof, the cutting operation being guided by the printed lines mentioned above. This makes available a second and third closure of the bag by activation of the second and third bands of adhesive. There is thus provided a storage bag sealed so tightly as to be completely proof against dust, moths, and other vermin and if desired it may also be made moisture-proof by selection of the proper material, and it may also be provided with a window.

' Figs. 18 and 19 show a particular arrangement adapted to the formation of shipping sacks of the sewn type. Here a web 400 is scored to deline a front wall 402, two halves of a rear wall tile, and a pair of gusset fold 406. At intervals there are applied to the web transverse strips of thermoplastic material. One of these M18, extends across the front wall 4112 but terminates short of the gussets 436. A similar strip ME! also extends across the front wall and is spaced from the strip 408 by a distance a little less than the length of the ultimate bag. Similar strips 412 extend across the halves of the rear wall 404 and are in alignment with the strip 408. Strips M4 also extend across the rear wall 404 and are in alignment with the strip 4m. All of these thermoplastic strips are fully hardened before the tubing operation. As the web 480 passes through the tubing process, it receives triangular paste patterns H6 and l 18 in alignment with and joining the thermoplastic strips 483 and M0. Similar triangular areas 429 and Q22 are placed between and join the thermoplastic strips 410. These triangular areas are tubed in wet condition and set after the tube has been fully formed and collapsed. It will be noted that the wet paste extends in complete alignment with strips A138 and M2 slightly beyond the base of the triangular areas so that when the bag is collapsed the inner surfaces of the walls will be firmly joined within the apices of the gussets in areas indicated at 426i in Fig. 19. Bags are severed along the line A-A in Fig. 18, leaving an untreated margin of the bag between each of the strips M38 and llil and the end of the bag. The sewed closure is formed in this projecting area and the bag is then subjected to heat and pressure in the areas overlying the thermoplastic 398 and M2. The triangular areas 415 and M8 greatly assist in expanding both ends of the bag. The gussets are firmly held by these areas, and this is an enormous advantage where the front and rear walls are over 12 inches in width. At the bottom of the bag the strips ME} and M4 may be formed of wet paste and set solidly when the tube is collapsed on the tuber. The sewed seam should pass as close as possible to the transverse adhesive bands but should not penetrate these bands since this would so increase th heat developed by friction as seriously to impair the needle.

We claim:

1. A method of forming flattened tubular bag blanks comprising: advancing a continuous web of sheet material; applying to one side of said web a series of bodies of adhesive in fluid or tacky condition said bodies extending substantially the full width of the web; applying vacuum to the opposite side of said web in predetermined planes to guide said web into flattened tubular condition with said fluid or tacky adhesive bodies inside the tube; and severing consecutive bag blanks from said tube.

2. A method of making bags comprising: providing a roll of flexible material; drawing said material from said roll; advancing the material. and, by contact with one side only of said material, forming the same into a flattened tube during such advance the side contacted forming the exterior of the tube.

3. A method of making bags comprising: providing a roll of flexible material; drawing said material from said roll; advancing the material; printing bands of wet adhesive on one side of said web and extending substantially across the Web and by contact with the unprinted side only plastic material; applying to said web, adjacent substantially across the web.

5. A tuber comprising: means defining a narchannel-defining means, and means for bringing said web into conformity with said channel- LEONARD R. HECKER. MURRAY P. CLARK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 155,483 Allison Sept. 29, 1874 205,133 Porter June 18, 1878 329,561 Noniss Nov. 3, 1885 331,721 Lorenz et a1. Dec. 1, 1885 331,723 Lorenz et a1 Dec. 1, 1885 333,646 Lorenz Jan. 5, 1886 413,634 Stilwell Oct. 22, 1889 1,325,466 Duvall Dec. 16, 1919 1,551,924 Arrouquier Sept. 1, 1925 1,983,291 Haskell Dec. 4, 1934 2,012,357 Shea Aug. 27, 1935 2,054,486 Sargent Sept. 15, 1936 2,062,265 Haskell Nov. 24, 1936 2,265,075 Knuetter Dec. 2, 1941 

